


We Were On A Break

by liionne



Series: Les Amoureux en Paris [7]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Friends AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-30
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-07 00:34:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liionne/pseuds/liionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grantiare cheated on Enjolras, and Bossuet, Joly, Jehan and Courfeyrac are trapped next door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Were On A Break

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little bit addicted to these Friend AUs. I hope this doesn't bend Enjolras's character too far - I think we're all a little unpredictable when we're mad, right?
> 
> Also, jut a note: Joly and Enjolras are room mates in this one shot.

"Ow!"

"Ow!"

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Oh! Ow!

Joly and Jehan sat on the bed, tearing off the rest of the wax that they had foolishly decided to put on their legs. 'Chetta and Cosette had been using it before they went out for the night, but they had left the wax switched on and Joly could see no real use for it. He was about to put in in the bin when Jehan gave him the dare. Of course, he dared him right back, and now here they were, with legs that were bright red, but baby smooth.

But of course, all the cries of pain sounded suspicious. Bossuet and Courfeyrac, hearing screams, charged into the bedroom at full throttle, frying pans at the ready.

"We're all right, we're okay!" Joly cried, throwing up his hands.

"We were just waxing our legs." Jehan answered, whimpering slightly as he spoke.

"Off!?" Courfeyrac cried.

"I'll have you know this is the most pain I've ever been in." Joly answered curtly, his eyes red from the stinging.

"It can't be worse than a kick to the balls. Grow up." Courfeyrac rolled his eyes.

Pouting, Jehan spread some wax onto the paper and slapped it onto Courfeyrac's forearm. 

"Very mature." Bossuet scolded.

"Right, okay. So what, I just pull it off?" Courfeyrac asked casually.

"Mm hm." Joly nodded, as Jehan said, "Oui."

Courfeyrac snorted, and ripped the paper from his arm, along with a long strip of dark hair. He went to laugh, and then, he whimpered.

~~~~~

"Enjolras, please! Enjolras! Talk to me!"

The sound of Grantaire's voice echoed through to the bedroom where the four men were sat. Something was wrong. Bossuet quietly shut the door.

"What was that?" Joly asked.

"Nothing!" Courfeyrac answered quickly.

Joly frowned at him, getting up and pressing his ear to the door. Courfeyrac and Bossuet knew what was going on, but they didn't let on. Instead they stood with their hands in their pockets, looking anywhere but at the door or at Joly or Jehan.

"What's going on?" Jehan hissed to Courfeyrac, who gave him a wonky frown.

~~~~~

"Enjolras?" Grantaire asked.

In the living room, Enjolras had threw himself down on the sofa, his blonde curls falling into his eyes and his arms firmly crossed. As Grantaire approached, trying to set a hand on his shoulder, Enjolras flinched. "Just get away from me!"

"It was a mistake!" Grantiare cried. "I made a mistake, all right? It wouldn't be the first time!"

"A mistake?" Enjolras demanded, staring at Grantaire gravely. "Where the hell were you trying to put it, in her handbag!?"

"Where did he put it!?" Jehan hissed to Courfeyrac in the bedroom, to quiet to be heard in the living room.

Enjolras breathed deeply. "R, you had sex with a woman. A woman! Not even another man. A woman!"

~~~~~

"I knew something had to be wrong, the daisies in the back garden didn't grow at all yesterday." Jehan nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, well..." Bossuet exhaled in a gust. "I think they had a fight, and Grantaire got drunk, as usual-"

"Oh!" Joly smacked his arm. "You knew about this? And you didn't tell me!?"

Bossuet looked at Courfeyrac with a frown. "He's the one who had sex, and we're getting punished?"

~~~~~

"You know what, I want you to go." Enjolras held the door out to Grantaire. "Go on, get out!"

"No." Granaire said firmly.

"Just get out!" Enjolras demanded. "Now!"

"No! I want to stay. I want to talk about this!" Grantaire yelled.

"Fine. Okay." Enjolras slammed the door shut. "Was she any good?"

~~~~~

"Uh oh." Bossuet murmured.

~~~~~

"What?" R asked, confused.

"Was she any good?" Enjolras repeated slowly, spitting each word at him.

~~~~~

"Don't answer that." Courfeyrac shook his head.

~~~~~

"Come on, R!" Enjolras demanded. "You wanted to talk about it, and here we are. How was she?"

"She was..." Grantaire ran a hand through his mop of black hair, shaking his head slightly.

~~~~~

"Awful! Horrible!" Courfeyrac suggested, although Grantaire couldn't hear him.

"She was not good. Not good at all." Bossuet added.

"She was nothing compared to you." Courfeyrac finished.

~~~~~

"She was... different." Grantaire said, after a while.

~~~~~

"Uh oh." Bossuet murmured.

~~~~~

"Good different?" Enjolras asked.

"Nobody... Nobody likes change?" Grantaire said weakly.

Enjolras launched himself at him, ready to punch him in the jaw.

"All right, okay, all right!" Grantaire yelled, trying to cover himself.

~~~~~

Jehan pouted. "Should we do something?"

"Yeah. Never cheat on Enjolras." Bossuet muttered.

~~~~~

"I'm sorry, okay!?" Grantaire cried desperately. "I was - I was disgusted with myself, I was so upset, this morning, when I woke up, but then I got your text, and I was just so - so happy, Enjolras, cheri, and all I wanted was to get her out of the flat as fast as I-"

"What?" Enjolras asked, blinking a few times. "Wait a minute. She was still in your apartment when I came round this morning? She was there? When I was there!?" His voice rose as he spoke.

Grantaire shook his head. "Listen, Enjolras, it didn't mean anything, she meant nothing to me-"

"Yet she was worth jeopardizing our relationship!" Enjolras cried.

He threw a newspaper from the table at him, but it missed - Enjolras had never been a good shot, and he was even worse when he was mad. It hit the bedroom door, and the four men behind it jumped.

"I thought we were over. I thought there was nothing _to_ jeopradise." Grantaire retorted.

"We were just taking a break!" Enjolras cried.

"But how was I supposed to know that that wasn't going to last forever? To me and my simple mind, that was a break up!" Grantaire yelled.

"Do not think you're getting away with this on a technicality." Enjolras warned him gravely.

"I don't want to get out of it, I'm not trying to." Grantire ran another hand through his hair. "I thought our relationship was dead."

"Well you obviously had a hell of a time at the wake!"

~~~~~

Coureyrac shook his head. "I don't think we should listen anymore." he stretched his hand out to the door handle, only for it to be swatted away by Joly.

"You can't go out there!" he almost shrieked.

"Why not?" Courfeyrac looked to Bossuet as his stomach rumbled. "I'm hungry."

"Because then they'll know we've been listening and we'll all be done for." Joly scolded. Courfeyrac gave a solemn nod, and pressed his ear to the door again.

~~~~~

"And I had to hear about it from 'Chetta!" Enjolras shook his head, looking down at the floor.

"I wanted to be the one to tell you. I didn't want her to tell you." Grantaire said. "I ran all over Paris trying to make sure that that didn't happen."

"Well that is just so sweet." Enjolras muttered sarcastically. "I think I'm falling in love with you all over again."

~~~~~

"Y'know, I think we can go out there." Bossuet said. "I mean, they have bigger things to worry about than us listening."

"Yeah," Courfeyrac agreed. "We'll be fine."

~~~~~

Grantaire sighed. "Look, Enjolras, I wanted to tell you. I thought I should. I was going to, and then Bossuet and Courfeyrac convinced me not too."

~~~~~

Bossuet held the jar of wax out to Joly. "Wax the door shut, we are never, ever leaving."

~~~~~

"Hello? Hi, it's Jean Prouvaire, Literature Student. Someone'll have to bring my work over to me from my 3pm class, because it's 3.15 and I'm not there." He put the telephone back in it's cradle.

~~~~~

"Do you realise none of this would have happened if I didn't think you were having sex with Combeferre at the same time?" Grantaire said. He had sat on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees. His hands were pressed together in a praying position, and he pressed his finger tips to his lips.

"All right. Say I had slept with Combeferre. Would you forgive me?" Enjolras asked.

"Of course." Grantaire sighed.

Enjolras's eyes narrowed. "You'd be all right if you knew that Combeferre had kissed me, and been naked with me?" He asked doubtfully.

"...Yes." Grantiare answered unsurely.

Enjolras continued. "If you knew that our hot, sweaty bodies were pressed up against each other-"

"Stop! Stop." Grantaire stood. "Okay, all right, I would have been devastated! But I would still want to be with you. Because, well, it's you. My Apollo."

~~~~~

The four men exchanged looks. "Awww!"

~~~~~

An hour or so later, and Enjolras sat at the kitchen table, his back to Grantaire, who sat on the opposite side. 

"What are you thinking, Enjolras?" Grantaire asked.

"I'm thinking, I'm going to order a pizza." Enjolras said slowly.

It was so out of character for him, that it took Grantaire by surprise. Enjolras was all for freshly prepared foods, salads and low-fat. He wasn't the type for a take out.

"An 'I-forgive-you' pizza?" Grantaire asked hopefully.

Enjolras glared at him out of the corner of his eyes, and Grantaire dropped his hopeful gaze.

~~~~

"Oh god, pizza?" Courfeyrac moaned. "I like pizza." He stared fixedly at the wall, and held his arm out in front of him. "Put olives on the pizza." He murmured, trying to telepathically send messages to his friend through the wall.

"We could eat the wax." Jehan nodded. "It's organic."

"With hair in it?" Bossuet's face twisted.

"No, not the used wax." Jehan looked at him as if he was stupid.

"Because that would be crazy." Bossuet nodded, looking back to the door.

~~~~~

Enjolras was stood by the door with the phone and a menu in his hand. Grantaire sat at the table still, and said, "Can I get in on that pizza? I'm kind of hungry..." He was resisting the urge to grab a beer from the fridge, and thought that eating might do it.

"Fine." Enjolras muttered. "Hello? Hi. I'd like to order a large pizza."

"No ham." Grantaire murmured.

"With extra ham." Enjolras nodded.

"I'll just pick them off." Grantaire murmured, stung.

Enjolras exhaled through his teeth. "And could you just chop some up and put it right in the sauce, too? Merci."

~~~~~

"You can have that piece, if you want it." Grantaire offered.

"I should think so, you slept with a girl." Enjolras muttered, shoving the pizza in his mouth.

~~~~~

The four men now sat on the bed, a tangle of legs and floppy hair, each holding what looked like an ice-lolly stick, coated in wax. They each wrinkled their noses, trying to brush the taste off their tongues before it even entered their mouth. All except for Courfeyrac, who nodded slightly as if he was enjoying it.

"They'll get through this, won't they?" Jehan asked gloomily.

"Of course. It Enjolras and Grantaire." Bossuet said. "They've got to."

"What if they don't?" Joly murmured.

Silence befell the group, as each one thought of the consequences.

Courfeyrac broke the silence. "Do you think I need a new walk?"

"What?" Bossuet asked.

"Last time I changed my walk was before university. You know those guys who just walk into a room, and everyone takes notice? Well, I'm about to become an influential figure in French history, I need a walk that people will take notice of." Courfeyrac explained.

"Are you actually hearing the words that are coming out of your mouth?" Bossuet asked incredulously.

~~~~~

"What, so now you won't even talk to me? Look at me?" Grantaire asked. He was starting to get annoyed. He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of Enjolras. "Look, cheri, I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry. I was insane to do this to you. I thought I'd lost you. I didn't know what to do. I got drunk, it was a mistake. You know how drunk I would have had to have been to do something this bad! I don't cheat. You know that! That's not me, that's Courfeyrac!"

~~~~~

"Hey!" Courfeyrc cried, looking wounded. Joly, Bossuet and Jehan looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh my God. It's like 5pm. They've been arguing for 3 hours. I should have come back from class by now, why isn't Enjolras worrying about me?" Joly frowned

"Some people are just so self involved." Jehan put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

~~~~~

"But y'now what, I wasn't the one who wanted a break. You gave up on us. You gave up on us when it got tough!" Grantaire accused.

"That's..." Enjolras trailed off, shaking his head.

"'That's' what!?" Grantaire demanded.

"That is neither here nor there." Enjolras finished.

Grantaire held out his arms. "And now we’re in a tough spot again, Enjolras. What do you want to do? How do you want to handle it? Are you going to fight for us, or are you going to give up?" he sat down on the sofa next to the other man. "Look, I- I did a horrible thing, okay? I am sorry, I am so, so sorry, aand I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. I just don't want us to throw away something we know is so, so good. Enjolras, I love you so much." Tears pricked his eyes, turning them red as he kissed Enjolras's neck, and then his jawline, and then the side of his face. He tried to press one to his lips, but Enjolras stood.

"No, Grantaire!" He moved across the room. "Don't! You can't just kiss me and make it better!"

"Okay, okay." Grantaire stood, and looked at his shoes. 

Enjolras's voice was barely a whisper. "I think you should go. I really, really think you need to go."

Grantaire looked at him for a long, hard moment, and then moved to stand in front of him, face to face. "Look, this morning you said there was nothing we couldn't work through-"

"Apparently I was wrong." Enjolras muttered.

"No, look-" Grantaire tried desperately to make him see. "We can we work past this. Okay?" He took hold of Enjolras's left hand. "I can't - I can't imagine a life without this hand-" He kissed his palm. "Without this face." he brushed his thumb along Enjolras's cheekbone. Enjolras's eyes were red, and filled with tears about to spill. "Without this heart." Grantaire pressed a shaking hand to Enjolras's chest, feeling the beating against his rough skin. "Your good heart, Enjolras." His voice dipped to a whisper as he leaned his head against the other man's chest.

~~~~~

Joly, Bossuet, Courfeyrac and Jehan stood against the wall, their ears pressed to the plaster. Silent tears fell down each ones cheeks, and no one spoke.

~~~~~

"You are a completely different person to me now, R." Enjolras said. His voice quivered. "I used to think you were someone who understood me. Who understood what I wanted. Who would never, ever hurt me. But I just can't stop picturing you with her." He stepped back, and Grantaire stood up straight. "It doesn't matter what you say or do, Grantaire. This has-" He shook his head, and swallowed deeply. "-changed everything."

"This can't be it." Grantaire murmured, his voice sounding low from the tears that dampened his skin. "It can't be."

Enjolras swallowed again, before saying, "It is."

~~~~~

It was 7pm, now. The four men were sprawled around the bedroom in various positions. They were all silent.

"They've been quiet for a long time." Jehan murmured.

"D'you think Enjolras killed him?" Courfeyrac asked.

Bossuet headed towards the door. "Let's go."

As they entered the living room, they saw the aftermath of the argument - the newspaper sprawled across the floor, the empty pizza box, the curtains that were still wide open even though it was pitch black outside. Joly headed to Enjolras, pulling a blanket over him where he lay sleeping on the sofa. Grantaire was gone, and all of the beers were still in the fridge. Each man collected his things, and headed towards the door.

Courfeyrac walked with exaggerated movements, bobbing up and down as he hunched his shoulders over.

"Is that your new walk?" Bossuet whispered doubtfully.

"Nah." Courfeyrac shook his head. "Gotta pee."

They shut the door quietly behind them, and, taking a final look at his poor roommate, Joly retired to bed himself.


End file.
